People fear 'degenerative brain diseases' such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease because they drastically reduce the quality of life and cause suffering not only to the patients but also to their families and those around them. The main causes of degenerative brain diseases include aging, alcohol, and the abnormal accumulation of certain proteins.

The pharmaceutical industry has been researching and developing treatments for degenerative brain diseases for decades, but most efforts have ended in failure. This is because the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) in the brain prevents external substances from entering, making it difficult for drugs to reach the brain. Therefore, the medical community has been exploring new approaches, such as directly removing pathological proteins in the brain or opening the BBB to deliver treatments.

Professor Jeong Won-kyu of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, who also leads the bio-startup ReadyCure, plays a part in this effort. ReadyCure has focused on 'digital X-rays,' which emit pulse beams at much lower doses and energy than conventional X-rays. When digital X-rays are directed at a patient's brain, they exhibit various effects. First, they activate the function of microglia in the brain, removing amyloid-beta and tau proteins, which are known as major causes of degenerative brain diseases. They also help alleviate inflammation and promote nerve regeneration. Simultaneously, they temporarily open the BBB to allow existing drugs to reach the brain.


Since its establishment in 2021, ReadyCure has been steadily researching and developing the digital X-ray irradiation device 'HeLaXON.' As a result, they completed a prototype model of HeLaXON 1X and confirmed its safety and potential in animal experiments and exploratory clinical trials. Additionally, they are concurrently developing the next-generation brain drug delivery platform 'EPATA' using BBB opening technology. While HeLaXON is a non-drug treatment solution, EPATA is a brain DDS (Drug Delivery System) platform that selectively opens the BBB through digital X-rays to deliver various brain disease treatments to the brain. Currently, they are conducting joint research with the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in the United States, and it is being recognized as a next-generation pipeline with global scalability.

These achievements have been recognized externally as well. ReadyCure received the 'Innovation Award' at the '2025 KHF Innovation Awards' organized by the Korean Hospital Association at the International Hospital and Medical Industry Expo (KHF2025) held in September at COEX, Seoul. This officially demonstrated the commercialization potential of HeLaXON and its potential to open a new era of non-drug treatment for degenerative brain diseases.

As of September, ReadyCure has completed the development of the HeLaXON 1X prototype and is conducting tests with accredited institutions. They plan to collaborate with a Contract Research Organization (CRO) to obtain IDE approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety by the end of the year and to start domestic clinical trials in early 2026. They aim to prove safety and efficacy in confirmatory clinical trials and commercialize the product around 2027. HeLaXON 2X is also being developed with its own shielding structure to be used in small and medium-sized hospitals.

Several partner companies are also supporting ReadyCure. Notable partners include Poscom, an X-ray imaging equipment company that won the Best Innovation Award and Innovation Award at CES 2025, CBH, which produced the carbon couch, and Zen Design, which supported the design. Additionally, on September 16, they signed a memorandum of understanding with the Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute to develop treatment technologies and medical devices for intractable diseases using low-dose radiation. Through this, ReadyCure is expanding its scope as a leading company in precision radiation therapy and establishing an open collaboration ecosystem that connects clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and commercialization.


ReadyCure has attracted private investment amounting to KRW 2.3 billion. Additionally, they have secured cumulative government R&D projects worth KRW 5.9 billion. They are also conducting deep tech TIPS and global R&D projects under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. In 2025, they began with an investment from Smart & Growth in April, followed by participation in the Pre-A round by J&P Medi Partners and Duk-In Co., Ltd. in August. ReadyCure is accelerating the clinical and regulatory approval processes based on the secured funds and is preparing for a Series A investment round.

CEO Jeong Won-kyu stated, "We aim to help patients receive effective treatment at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner with the digital X-ray device HeLaXON, which is specialized for treating degenerative brain diseases," and added, "We will showcase the utility of HeLaXON and EPATA to the world by progressing through stages such as clinical trials, joint research with global pharmaceutical companies, and attracting investment."

IT Donga Reporter Cha Joo-kyung (racingcar@itdonga.com)

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